Middletown Little League ThisClose To World Series Run

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Update: The team lost Wednesday's game, 5-2, to Staten Island, the Asbury Park Press reported. But they will play again this Friday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. If they lose that game, they are eliminated. They need to win the next two games to make it to the Little League World Series.

Will they make it to Williamsport??!! That is the big question that everyone wants to know, as the Middletown 12u Little League team comes breathtakingly close to a Little League World Series run this week.

The team is currently in Bristol, CT, where they are battling it out between four other teams to become the Mid-Atlantic champions. They won their first game Monday night against a team from Maryland, and will face a team from Staten Island today, Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 1 p.m. If they win today's game, they will compete in the final championship game on Saturday.

And if they win that, then they head to Williamsport, PA for the Little League World Series.

This was all explained by JoAnne Briggs, whose son, Dylan Briggs, is on the team. She and Dylan are part of a contingent of about 100 Middletown kids, coaches and their families up in Connecticut right now, representing New Jersey and the Bayshore with pride.

"They are ecstatic. The boys are so excited and they're doing great throughout all of this," said Briggs. "They're so cool under pressure and nothing frazzles them. They have ice water in their veins."

The past few weeks have truly been a life-changing experience that the boys and their families will never forget, she said.

"They are like brothers. They have great coaches and they have very supportive families," she added.

How to watch today's game at 1 p.m.:

In fact, if you want to watch today's game at 1 p.m., you can watch it right here on ESPN.com:

http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id...

Or on GameChanger Game Stream: https://gc.com/game-5b3ae58039...

MJ’s on Rt. 35 and TST BBQ in Leonardo will also be streaming today's game live at 1 p.m. Both MJ's and TST BBQ confirmed to Patch they will have the game on at 1 p.m., so stop by on your lunch break to cheer on these amazing hometown kids!

Both restaurants streamed Monday's game at 4 p.m. to packed houses, as did Urban Coalhouse Pizza in the Galleria in Red Bank. Briggs said it was standing-room only in all three restaurants as Middletown gets swept up in summertime Little League fever.

The Middletown Little League 12u team consists of:

Manager Tim Naughton & Coaches Doug Quardt and Al Delia

Players:

Gaetano Alfano

Dylan Briggs

Alfred Delia

James Finer

Timmy Naughton

Leland Ossner

Dylan Passo

Jason Quardt

Matthew Sheehan

Brody Tacca

Kevin Toth

Reid Tully

Joseph Wall

All photos taken by Al Hofmann and used with his permission.